


On the Life of an Officer

by txorakeriak



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-16
Updated: 2006-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27594935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/txorakeriak/pseuds/txorakeriak
Summary: Norrington reflects on recent events and realizes a loss.
Relationships: James Norrington/Jack Sparrow
Kudos: 2





	On the Life of an Officer

**Author's Note:**

> This is the English translation of [this fic I originally wrote in German](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27594914).

The _Dauntless_ and the _Interceptor_ were indeed the pride of the Caribbean fleet. While the _Interceptor_ persuaded others of her value by virtue of her nimble movement and quickness, the _Dauntless_ was appreciated by her captain and her king because of her outstanding seaworthiness and strength. 

When James Norrington was given command of the two ships on account of his promotion, his knowledge and his considerable talent in seamanship cast aside all doubts about him leading and commanding them as they merited it. Norrington himself, both an ambitious and able man, was determined to make good use of them in his fight against wind and weather, enemy powers and pirates.

Of course, he couldn't expect that the path of his career would cross with that of the infamous pirate Jack Sparrow. Undoubtedly, he had heard of him - which man living in the West Indian colonies hadn't? The pubs and inns were full of the most adventurous ghost stories that made Sparrow a hero and a feared criminal at the same time. Thus were the simple people, for whom the truth was not enough.

However, Norrington was soon to realize that truth as such didn't exist and no man had the right to judge things that exceeded his experience. Never before had Norrington's common sense known bloodthirsty undead, cursed treasure chests and ghost ships, but now he would make their acquaintance. Naturally, he had never harboured any desire to get that experience, but he had no choice. He had his duty, his ambition and his pride.

At the end, he was able to do his duty and to satisfy his ambition.

He couldn't preserve his pride. At the stony steps of Fort Charles, he first had to witness his glorious catch escape his deserved execution before he had to release his fiancée Elizabeth - to a blacksmith he had never thought highly of.

He knew exactly who to blame for all this and he was certain that if that person hadn't stepped into his life, none of it would have happened. Somebody had to account for the whole sorry mess and it was perfectly clear to him who that someone was.

Norrington had never asked Jack Sparrow to churn up his life like that, and even though he had always been better at fighting pirates than at fighting endless piles of reports and paperwork on his desk, he would have preferred the latter anytime - contrite, but conscientious and conscious of his duty.

Yet, like so many things linked to those special happenings, it had not been in his power to decide. 

Not only had he lost one of his most beautiful and powerful ships within two days of his promotion but also something he had guarded for almost thirty-five years - something many people would have believed he didn't even possess.

And in a strange and almost unbelievable way his life seemed to make more sense now than ever before.


End file.
